Enrollment
107
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Burnsville, NC
South Toe Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Toe Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370507002032
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Toe Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in Burnsville · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 62.0%
- free-lunch eligible
South Toe Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Toe Elementary ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Burnsville, NC.
School address
District: Yancey County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370507002032 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Toe Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Toe Elementary
South Toe Elementary is a higher-need, small elementary school in Burnsville, North Carolina, enrolling 107 students.
At 15.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.0% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of North Carolina schools, with 107 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 25 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #15.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 214 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Burnsville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Micaville Elementary (188 students): South Toe Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.3:1 vs 14.5:1).
Yancey County Schools also operates Mountain Heritage High (642 students) and Blue Ridge Elementary (382 students) alongside South Toe Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Toe Elementary compares
South Toe Elementary on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▼ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.0% | ▼ 6% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 107 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
107
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 53% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,275
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 83.2%
Hispanic or Latino 14.0%
Two or More 2.8%
Largest group: White at 83.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.7, South Toe Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Yancey County Schools, which includes South Toe Elementary.
$14,275
Per student
+19%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.4%
State 63.8%
Federal 17.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How South Toe Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Heritage High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blue Ridge Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Burnsville Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Yancey Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cane River Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Toe Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 382
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 350
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 259
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 210
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Burnsville
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~107 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Toe Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Toe Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Yancey County Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about South Toe Elementary
How many students attend South Toe Elementary?
South Toe Elementary has 107 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Burnsville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Toe Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Toe Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 3% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Toe Elementary?
62.0% of students at South Toe Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Toe Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Toe Elementary is White at 83.2% of enrollment, in Burnsville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Toe Elementary?
South Toe Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Toe Elementary rank among public schools in Burnsville?
By Resource Investment Index, South Toe Elementary ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Burnsville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Burnsville on the city page.
Is South Toe Elementary a good school?
South Toe Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Yancey County Schools?
Besides South Toe Elementary, Yancey County Schools also operates Mountain Heritage High (642 students), Blue Ridge Elementary (382 students), and Burnsville Elementary (350 students). See the Yancey County Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.